Prefabricated gift wrapper

ABSTRACT

A prefabricated gift wrapper includes a tubular sleeve having opposite open ends through either of which a gift box is insertable, and independently movable end flaps for closing each open end to rapidly and conveniently wrap the box without excessive manual manipulations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention generally relates to wrappingparallelepiped-shaped boxes that contain gifts or like merchandise.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Gift wrapping generally involves tearing a selected length ofgift wrapping paper from a supply roll, and draping it around a box,typically after multiple cutting, shaping, folding and tapingoperations. These wrapping actions result in considerable inconvenienceand time spent in attempting to create a neat, finished, decorativeappearance for the wrapped box. Other than employing the professionalservices of people experienced in wrapping gifts, the art has proposedthe use of preformed gift wrappings. U.S. Pat. No. 2,294,690 discloses aprewrapped box which has a wrapper secured thereto. U.S. Pat. No.3,658,240 discloses a sleeve manufactured with reinforcing sheets andrequiring separate taping operations. U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,025 disclosesan envelope-type bag into which a box is inserted. U.S. Pat. No.3,366,313 discloses a flat sheet which a user must wrap around a giftbox. As advantageous as some of these preformed and non-preformed giftwrappings have been, there is still a need to minimize the amount oftime and effort involved in gift wrapping, and to enable even people oflimited wrapping skill to rapidly and conveniently wrap a box with aminimum of manipulations, and create a wrapped box of high aestheticappearance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to providea prefabricated gift wrapper that avoids the drawbacks described above.

[0006] More particularly, it is an object of the present invention torapidly and conveniently wrap a box with a minimum of manipulation andskill.

[0007] Still another object of the present invention is to provide arelatively inexpensive wrapper which can be manufactured at minimumcost.

FEATURES OF THE INVENTION

[0008] In keeping with the above objects and others which will becomeapparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides,briefly stated, in a prefabricated wrapper for wrapping aparallelepiped-shaped box having two mutually parallel end walls spacedapart along a longitudinal direction, two mutually parallel side wallsspaced apart along a transverse direction perpendicular to thelongitudinal direction, and two mutually parallel top and bottom wallsspaced apart along a vertical direction perpendicular to thelongitudinal and transverse directions.

[0009] In accordance with this invention, the wrapper includes a sleeveof sheet material and extending along the longitudinal direction betweenopposite open ends through either of which the box to be wrapped isinsertable. The sleeve includes two mutually parallel top and bottomsleeve portions overlying and engaging the top and bottom walls of thebox after insertion, two mutually parallel side sleeve portionsoverlying and engaging the side walls of the box after insertion, andtwo end flap systems overlying and engaging the end walls of the boxafter insertion. Each end flap system includes two independently movabletop and bottom flaps foldably connected to the top and bottom sleeveportions respectively, and two independently movable side flaps foldablyconnected to the side sleeve portions respectively. The top, bottom andside flaps of each end flap system are folded into an overlappingrelationship to close a respective open end of the sleeve.

[0010] The wrapper further includes an adhesive on one of the flaps, forexample, the bottom flap, of each system, for maintaining theoverlapping relationship of each end flap system after folding. Theadhesive is preferably protected by a protective strip peelablyremovable to expose the adhesive.

[0011] In use, the box is inserted into either open end of the sleeve.Then, the side flaps of each system are folded over to overlie arespective end wall, and thereupon, the top and bottom flaps of eachsystem are folded over the side flaps. The last flap to be folded is theone bearing the adhesive. Each flap is, as described above,independently foldable so that the movement of one flap does not causeconcomitant joint movement of another flap. With a minimum ofmanipulation, the opposite ends of the sleeve are closed, and the box isneatly and professionally wrapped.

[0012] The novel features which are considered as characteristic of theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013]FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a blank from which a gift wrapperaccording to this invention is fabricated;

[0014]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wrapper of FIG. 1 in aflattened state suitable for stacking;

[0015]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the wrapper of FIG. 2 duringinsertion of a box to be wrapped; and

[0016]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a wrapped box.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Reference numeral 10 generally identifies a wrapper for wrappinga box 12 (FIG. 3) that contains merchandise, for example, a gift. Thewrapped box is shown in FIG. 4.

[0018] Box 12 has a parallelepiped shape with two mutually parallel endwalls 14, 16 spaced apart along a longitudinal direction, two mutuallyparallel side walls 18, 20 spaced apart along a transverse directionperpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and two mutually paralleltop and bottom walls 22, 24 spaced apart along a vertical directionperpendicular to the longitudinal and transverse directions. Each wallof the box is generally planar and has a rectangular shape, whichincludes a square shape. As is conventional, the box includes acontainer for the gift and a removable cover or lid.

[0019] The wrapper 12 is formed from a rectangular blank 26 depicted inFIG. 1 and constituted of a sheet material, preferably paper of thin,flexible stock (70 pound), which is plain or ornamented. Blank 26 iscreased with longitudinal fold lines 28, 30, 32, 34 in mutualparallelism, and with transverse fold lines 36, 38 in mutualparallelism. Fold lines 32, 34, 36, 38 form a side sleeve portion 48which, as described below, will overlie and engage box side wall 18.Fold lines 28, 30, 36, 38 form a side sleeve portion 50 which willoverlie and engage box side wall 20. Fold lines 30, 32, 36, 38 formbottom sleeve portion 54 which will overlie and engage box bottom wall24. Fold lines 28, 36, 38 bound a top wall portion 52 a with an outeredge of the blank. Fold lines 34, 36, 38 bound a top wall portion 52 bwith an outer edge of the blank. The two top sleeve portions 52 a, 52 bpartially overlap at regions 40, 42 and are adhered to each other, asshown in FIG. 4, to constitute a top sleeve portion that will overlieand engage box top wall 22.

[0020] The flat blank 26 is formed into a tubular sleeve by overlappingthe regions 40, 42 and adhering them to each other. This is preferablydone by the manufacturer with the sleeve in a flattened condition asshown in FIG. 2, which is also desirable for stacking and shippingpurposes in the case where a quantity of such wrappers are to be shippedfrom the manufacturer to a retail store.

[0021] The flattened sleeve is erected by a user to an erect conditionas shown in FIG. 3 by lifting the top sleeve portions 52 a, b todirectly overlie the bottom sleeve portion 54. The erected sleeve hasopposite open ends 56, 58 through either of which the box 12 isinsertable. As shown, the box 12 is inserted into end 56 in thelongitudinal direction of arrow A until the top sleeve portions 52 a, boverlie top box wall 22, the bottom sleeve portion 54 overlies bottombox wall 24, and the side sleeve portions 48, 50 overlie side walls 18,20. Preferably, the box is snugly received within the sleeve.

[0022] In order to close the open ends 56, 58, two end flap systems 60are provided at opposite ends of the sleeve. Each system 60 includes twoindependently movable side flaps 62, 64 foldably connected to the sidesleeve portions 48, 50 along transverse fold lines 36, 38 (see FIG. 1),and an independently movable bottom flap 66 foldably connected to thebottom sleeve portion 54. Top flap portions 68 a, 68 b are foldablyconnected to the top sleeve portions 52 a, 52 b, respectively. The topflap portions 68 a, 68 b together constitute an independently movabletop flap 68 that is foldably connected to the top sleeve portion.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, triangular sections are removed betweenadjacent flaps 68 a, 64; 64, 66; 66, 62; and 62, 68 b so that each flapis independently movable and foldable about their respective fold lineswithout causing concomitant joint simultaneous movement of another flap.In the preferred embodiment, angle x is about 89° and angle y is about87°. Each flap 62, 64 has a trapezoidal shape. Each flap haslongitudinal edges that are free, i.e., unconnected to adjacent flaps,to permit the independent flap movement.

[0024] Once the box 12 is inserted, the side flaps 62, 64 of each systemare folded inwardly in directions of arrows B toward each other to liein a common plane overlying the respective box end wall 14, 16.Thereupon, the top flap 68 is folded inwardly to overlie the side flaps.Before folding the bottom flap 66 to overlie the top flap 68, adhesivelayers 44 were applied over the bottom flaps 66 and were overlain withpeel-off protective strips 46 (see FIG. 1). These strips are peelablyremoved to expose the adhesives 44 underneath. Now, the bottom flaps canbe folded and pressed against the top flaps 68 to retain the flaps ofeach system in their overlapping relationships.

[0025] It will be understood that each of the elements described above,or two or more together, also may find a useful application in othertypes of constructions differing from the types described above.

[0026] It will be further understood that the terms “top” and “bottom”as used herein were used for purposes of convenience and that they couldbe interchanged. Thus, the seam formed by overlapping regions 40, 42 arepreferably positioned on the underside of the wrapped box for aestheticpurposes, and not on the upper side of the box depicted in FIG. 4.

[0027] While the invention has been illustrated and described asembodied in a prefabricated gift wrapper, it is not intended to belimited to the details shown, since various modifications and structuralchanges may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of thepresent invention.

[0028] Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal thegist of the present invention that others can, by applying currentknowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omittingfeatures that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constituteessential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of thisinvention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent isset forth in the appended claims. I claim:
 1. A prefabricated wrapperfor wrapping a parallelepiped-shaped box having two mutually parallelend walls spaced apart along a longitudinal direction, two mutuallyparallel side walls spaced apart along a transverse directionperpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and two mutually paralleltop and bottom walls spaced apart along a vertical directionperpendicular to the longitudinal and transverse directions, the wrappercomprising: a) a sleeve of sheet material and extending along thelongitudinal direction between opposite open ends through either ofwhich the box to be wrapped is insertable, the sleeve including twomutually parallel top and bottom sleeve portions overlying and engagingthe top and bottom walls of the box after insertion, two mutuallyparallel side sleeve portions overlying and engaging the side walls ofthe box after insertion, and two end flap systems overlying and engagingthe end walls of the box after insertion, each end flap system includingtwo independently movable top and bottom flaps foldably connected to thetop and bottom sleeve portions respectively, and two independentlymovable side flaps foldably connected to the side sleeve portionsrespectively, the top bottom and side flaps of each end flap systembeing folded into an overlapping relationship to close a respective openend of the sleeve; and b) an adhesive on one of the flaps of each endflap system for maintaining the overlapping relationship of each endflap system after folding.
 2. The prefabricated wrapper as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the sheet material is paper.
 3. The prefabricatedwrapper as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the top, bottom and sideportions of the sleeve has a rectangular shape.
 4. The prefabricatedwrapper as claimed in claim 1, wherein each flap is foldably connectedalong a fold line to the respective top, bottom and side sleeveportions; and wherein each flap has a linear outer free edge parallel tothe respective fold line, and two linear side free edges extendingbetween the fold line and the outer edge.
 5. The prefabricated wrapperas claimed in claim 4, wherein the free edges of adjacent flaps subtendan acute angle.
 6. The prefabricated wrapper as claimed in claim 5,wherein the acute angle is on the order of four degrees.
 7. Theprefabricated wrapper as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adhesive isapplied on one of the top and bottom flaps of each end flap system. 8.The prefabricated wrapper as claimed in claim 7, wherein the adhesiveextends along a linear course.
 9. The prefabricated wrapper as claimedin claim 1; and further comprising a protective strip overlying theadhesive in each end flap system and peelably removable from therespective adhesive to expose the respective adhesive.
 10. Theprefabricated wrapper as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sleeve consistsof a blank of the sheet material having overlapping regions adhering toeach other.